Hacker of Solomon
by Melimsah
Summary: Something happens to Michael, landing him in a coma at the hospital. But when Solomon immediately sends a replacement hacker, suspicions arise in the STN-J. Is this some plan cooked up by those down at HQ, or are things not what they seem?
1. Fallen

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Hacker of Solomon

Chapter 1: Fallen

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Witch Hunter Robin characters, blah blah blah. If I did, I would be off making another season!!

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Rating: safely PG-13, for language and violence. (mostly in future chapters)

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Summary: Something happens to Michael, landing him in a coma at the hospital. But when Solomon immediately sends a replacement hacker, suspicions arise in the STN-J. Is this some plan cooked up by those down at HQ, or are things not what they seem?

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Author's Note: 

Well, now I've gone and done it.

I've gotten obsessed with Witch Hunter Robin, and after reading everyone else's awesome fanfics, I have decided it's my turn to give it a go. My first WHR fanfic, but not my first attempt at a fanfic. I doubt I'll be able to live up to the other great people on this site *cough*Golden-sama*cough!* but it's been fun. MY FIRST FANFIC ON FF.NET!!! *dances around* I feel so sch-pecial!!

Enjoy! R&R!

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Darkness had long ago fallen on the world, and the silence with it had pretty much enveloped everything. On the streets, the normally steady stream of cars and buses had become a trickle, only maybe ten to be seen on a mile long stretch of road. But in the STN-J office, the usual flow of key tapping had hardly stalled. Because, of course, Michael Lee was putting in another long day's work.

"Arg," he said softly to himself, scratching his head as his eyes scanned his computer screen. He was busy doing research on a new case. A witch had been discovered on the outskirts of town, but so far, his powers were unknown. Michael narrowed his eyes and continued his typing.

"Come on, there has to be something on this guy . . . " he growled, leaning over so his nose was only an inch from the screen. His fingers were tapping harder on the keyboard than they should, his exhaustion and frustration getting the best of him.

"We need something on this guy by tomorrow," Amon had told him several hours earlier, as he threw his trenchcoat over his shoulder and strolled stoically out. 

"No problem," Michael had said.

But clearly, it had become a problem.

Michael reached over and grabbed his cup of coffee and took a sip. His face contorted into a sneer. A two hour old cup of coffee just didn't have the same refreshing quality as a fresh one did. He finished it anyway, and then stood up and stretched, glancing over at the clock on the wall.

It was a little after midnight. Michael sighed and pulled his earphones out of their spots, the world going from crashing guitars to the soft humming of his processor. He set them on the desk and walked to the coffee machine, his body swaying a bit from sitting for so long. 

"Aw, man!" he groaned, lifting the empty pitcher of coffee. "Great. Just great." He slammed the coffee pot down and ran his fingers through his orange hair. He glanced at the small bags of coffee grindings sitting next to the machine, but decided he was too lazy and impatient to make himself more. He bent down and opened up a small refrigerator concealed beneath the coffee machine and pulled out several Coca-Colas. They should help him last the next hour or so.

A noise caught his attention and he turned to see what it was. It sounded like it was coming from the computers. But after staring several seconds, he decided that perhaps sleep depravation was getting to him. He groaned sleepily and scratched his head, then unscrewed the cap of one of the soda bottles. He pressed his lips against it and took a long sip.

But then there it was again. Michael looked over the bottle toward the computers again, and then pulled it away quickly, coughing as he inhaled the soda.

The computers' monitors had all awoken from their nighttime standby mode all on their own.

"What the hell?!" he said aloud, walking briskly over to his own computer, setting his soda and the other unopened bottles down on the desk along the way. He bent over his chair to look at his screen.

It had gone completely blank.

His heart leapt in horror. No . . . it was impossible . . . He wheeled his chair back and threw himself on it, then rolled up to the keyboard and began to type. He tried to bring up an override window, but no matter what keys he pressed, nothing happened. He felt his face grow pale, and then rage filled him.

"NO! Dammit!" he growled, slamming his hand against the side of his computer screen before he reached over to reset the computer. All the hard work he had done! Gone! The only explanation had to be a hacker, but how could a hacker have gotten through his system again? He then remembered the other computers and turned to see if they were in a similar state. He blinked twice to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.

Words were slowly appearing across the screens, all by themselves. He stood up and walked over to Sakaki's computer, and leaned in to see what it was. He furrowed his brow, his tired eyes struggling to take in everything at once. The words were in another language, or perhaps just encrypted, but Michael couldn't make sense of them. He sat down and began to type on the keyboard, but nothing he typed had any effect on it. The words just continued, just as fast, and just as unreadable.

The words suddenly stopped, then vanished. Michael clenched his teeth together. What the hell?

"Damn hackers . . . " he growled, unaware that he had just cursed himself. He got up and returned to his desk. He reached under and pulled out his own laptop and connected it to his office computer. His laptop started up fine. Automatically, his fingers began to fly across the keys, typing in the codes he knew better than anything else.

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How the hell did they get in?! he thought angrily, his fingers banging harder than ever on the keys. After getting hacked several weeks before, he was quite sure that he had made their security system fully impenetrable. So how . . . ?

The other computers began to whir louder, and Michael glanced over his shoulder at them. His fingers stopped as his eyes fell on the nearest machine.

Across all of the computers was one word.

His own name.

"What?" he whispered under his breath, getting back to his feet. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He felt like he was being watched. He glanced toward the window, as though expecting someone on a gaffold typing away on a laptop. Of course, no one was there. He spun around, the feeling lingering. But no one was around. He returned his gaze to the computers and saw, with a jolt, that profiles, articles, and various things that he normally used himself to figure out the pasts of witches began to appear. Only, they were all concerning himself, back from when he won a typing contest in second grade, up to a file created by Zaizen when they had dragged him into the STN-J. 

Then, the screens went blank, and more strange words popped up.

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"Dòruinn a suthainn dorchadas. . ."

Michael felt a shiver run over him. This didn't look good...

Then, all at once, the computers shut down. The world went momentarily black. Michael spun around. Even his laptop had turned off. He realized that someone had gotten to the electrical power, because the coffee maker's green digital clock had vanished too. He growled and went for his communicator. He needed to get a hold of Amon right away.

But as he reached for it, a sudden brightness blinded him and he threw his arms over his face to block it out. After a moment, his eyes readjusted, and he peered through the gap in his arms, and a spasm of fear went through him at what he saw.

The floor beneath him was glowing . . . a circle of light. Then more streams of light began to snake their way around him, creating squiggles and shapes that he recognized as being runes.

It was a Ring of Ogham.

Michael was rooted to the spot. He was paralyzed with horror . . . or perhaps it was the circle of runes doing it. But for a few seconds, nothing happened. All he could hear was his own harsh breathing.

Then, laughter sounded around him. He twisted around, his feet remaining planted in their places. Another shudder passed through him, and he widened his eyes in terror.

"What the hell is going on?!" he shouted at the laughter. "Who the hell are you?!"

The laughter didn't falter. If anything, it grew louder. Michael felt his heart pounding in his chest. He was trapped, and didn't have any means of protecting himself. He had an orbo gun, but it was out of reach, in his desk drawer.

It was several moments before he realized that the light beneath him was moving around. 

The squiggly shapes morphed into other designs, creating a new circle of ruins. Michael could only take in what he was seeing for a split second. His vision went bright red and a thunderclap sounded in his ears. He gasped and felt dread fill him, as though he knew what was going to happen. A split second later, his whole body exploded in the most unbearable pain, like someone was driving nails into every inch of his body. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. He was vaguely aware that his feet had begun working again, but all that did was cause him to fall over. He was on the floor, thrashing around in agony.

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Help! his mind screamed, as darkness began to fold over him. _Oh god! _

Someone help me! Robin . . . Amon . . . !

But no one came. The pain reached its peak, and the world shattered into nothingness.

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Robin yawned and rolled over in her bed. She glanced over at the clock and sighed hard. 

It was six in the morning. She would have to get up and head over to work soon. She closed her eyes, but the bright stream of light peeking through the curtains prevented her from falling back to sleep. She gave up after ten minutes and got up. She took her time putting her usual black clothes on, and putting her hair up in its bizarre pigtails. She tiptoed out the door, being careful not to wake Touko.

But at the bottom of the stairs, she stopped. It was six thirty. Why head to work right away? She continued down the hall, thinking about her various options. Perhaps she could stop and get some donuts. Michael was probably up most of the night trying to find information on that witch. It would be a nice little reward for his hard work. She walked out of the building and over to her Vespa. She carefully pulled her helmet on over her hairdo and sat down. With a few kicks of her heel, the Vespa roared to life and she pulled out of her parking space and onto the street. The streets hadn't reached their morning traffic velocity yet, so she reached the mart down the street from the STN-J in good time. She quickly went in and got the donuts -- powdered for her, chocolate-covered creme-filled with sprinkles for Michael.

She pulled into the parking garage of Raven's Flat to find it deserted. She was the first one there. Not even Zaizen or the usual security guard was there. She unlocked the gate and walked over to the elevator. She pressed number five, highlighting it, and the elevator lurched as it began its ascent to the top floor. The floors passed by slowly, one right after the other, until she reached her stop. The gates opened noisily and she stepped onto the platform and looked down toward the office entrance, expecting to hear the normal clicking of keys. But either her hearing was low today, or Michael wasn't working just yet.

The elevator behind her shuddered suddenly and she turned in time to see it disappear down the gaping elevator shaft. She chuckled a little and wondered if it was Amon who called for it. He was the only other one who would come forty-five minutes early.

"Michael?" she asked as she turned a corner, pulling off her trenchcoat. She folded the coat over her arms and looked up, expecting to see him making coffee, since his keyboard was strangely quiet. But he was nowhere be seen in the large office. Robin thought about it a moment. Perhaps he was up so late that he was sleeping in. She shrugged. Not like that mattered. She walked into the office and headed over to the coffee machine. She opened one of the bags of grindings and poured it into the machine. 

Something caused her to stop. At first, she wasn't sure what. But then she realized that there was a strange noise coming from behind her. She turned around, looking around for what it could be. After a moment she realized it was Michael's CD player blaring out his usual heavy metal music. She blinked in surprise. That was unlike Michael to leave his player going like that. She walked over to the desk, narrowing her eyes. The desk was it's usual state of disorganized, candy-covered messiness, but some things just popped out at her. Mostly it was the bags of uneaten candy and chips. Michael was a slob, but his love of food caused him to at least close up bags of chips to prevent them from going stale. And leaving a bottle of soda left unopened like that. That was peculiar...

That was when she saw him.

"Michael!" she gasped under her breath, fear filling her as she caught sight of him over the desk. Michael didn't respond. She hurried around the desk and kneeled over him. He was halfway on his stomach, half on his side. His orange glasses weren't on his nose, but rather laid shattered beside him. His face was very pale, almost white. Robin reached over and laid a hand on his cheek. She felt her breath catch hard in her chest, her stomach churning in terror. He was as cold as a corpse . 

The elevator pinged and she heard the gate slide open. She stood up slightly and glanced over Michael's desk.

"Amon!" she gasped, her voice coming out as barely a whisper. The tall, shady-looking man looked over at her, and his eyes narrowed as he read the look on her face.

"What is it?" he asked, quickly tugging his trenchcoat off. Robin looked back down at Michael, unable to respond. Her throat had closed shut. She listened to Amon's footsteps as he walked over to them, but as they reached the desk, the steady rhythm skipped a beat.

"Michael," he said softly. There was a flutter of his clothes as he knelt beside them. Robin watched him apprehensively as he placed two fingers underneath the young man's jaw. She held her breath and stared up at the older hunter's face, but it remained still.

"He's still alive. But his pulse is faint," his eyes flicked around at the room, probably noticing all the differences that Robin had. His eyes fell onto Michael's screen, and he gave a small grunt, his eyes widening a little in surprise.

"Huh?" Robin asked, turning to look, then took a quick breath at what she saw.

Michael's computer screen was blank save for three words:

"He is Ours."

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What do ya think so far? Lemme know! Your opinion counts!

~Lighty~


	2. A Not So Ordinary Day

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Hacker of Solomon

Chapter 2: A Not So Ordinary Day

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Witch Hunter Robin characters, blah blah blah. But I wish I did. ^_~ The plotline, however, is all mine! 

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Rating: safely PG-13, for language and violence.

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Summary: Something happens to Michael, landing him in a coma at the hospital. But when Solomon immediately sends a replacement hacker, suspicions arise in the STN-J. Is this some plan cooked up by those down at HQ, or are things not what they seem?

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Author's Note: I HAVE THE HTML FIGURED OUT! *bounces* Sorry for all of those who had to put up with those lousy html tags. It's all better now!

And I hate to say this, in reply to some reviews, this isn't exactly going to be a RobinxMichael story. In fact, it probably isn't going to revolve around any couples. Just little hints of it, nothing really big. But you can tell that I'm allowing Robin to have some attraction for Michael, but the story unfortunately is not going to dwell on it. Gomen nasai for anyone who was hoping for that! ^_^ 

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Hahahahaa...

Michael moaned softly, that horrid noise still echoing inside his head. The world was dark... perhaps it was all just a dream? He opened his eyes, expecting to see the blinking light of his computer screen on standby, or perhaps the illuminated window. But he didn't. All was darkness. He blinked, and realized he wasn't laying down. He wasn't even sitting, nor could he be considered standing. There was no floor, no wall, nothing. He was just suspended in darkness.

"What's going on here?!" he gasped, and his voice echoed around him eerily, causing terror to ripple through him. He twisted around, trying to figure out where he was. Trying to piece together what had happened.

Memories came to him slowly. The hacker... that's right! Someone had hacked through his impenetrable firewall... the messages... the Ring of Ogham... the laughter... the pain...

What had happened to him? 

"Hello there, sir hacker," said a quiet, yet cold voice Michael spun around in midair, having trouble making his floating body stop. But he saw nothing but black.

"Wh-who are you!" he shouted, his voice failing to stay steady. "What the hell have you done to me?!"

"Heh heh heh..." the voice chuckled, and something appeared in the corner of Michael's vision. He spun around and his mouth fell open.

It was a kid, maybe ten-years-old, standing before him. He was a sickly-looking child, with dark hair that greatly contrasted his white skin. The boy opened his eyes, and a spasm of fear filled Michael.

The child had no pupils... no irises... just a blinding whiteness.

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It's. . . a witch. . . Michael realized.

"What have you done to me?!" Michael shouted again, his voice wavering in fear.

The child didn't answer, just continued staring at Michael with his blazing eyes.

"You..." the child said softly, with a wry smile that made Michael's stomach flip-flop. "You should not yell at me..."

The child lifted his hand, and somehow, Michael knew what was coming.

"No! No STOP!"

But it happened anyway. The same pain that had wracked through his body before filled him again. A scream ripped from his mouth, and he heard it echoing in the darkness around him.. 

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Oh, God! his mind cried out. _Please! Make it stop! Please!!_

But for what seemed like hours, it wouldn't. By the time it did, Michael was sure that he would open his eyes and see the Grim Reaper bearing down on him, but he found that he couldn't open them. His whole body seemed to have shut down.

"Now," said the child's voice in his ear. "You are going to tell me what I need to know... about the STN-J. . ."

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Sakaki turned sharply around a corner, expertly maneuvering his motorcycle through the midmorning traffic. He took a sideways glance at his watch, then swerved to the right to pass a slow-moving car. Or, well, perhaps it was going the speed limit, but Sakaki could care less. It was moving slower than he was.

He was late. Over two hours late. He had slept right through his alarm clock. Still cursing himself inside his head, he picked up his speed even more, darting illegally between two lanes of unmoving traffic.

Suddenly he screeched himself to a halt as he unsuspectingly reached an intersection. He glared up at the red light. _Turn,_ he urged it. _Turn green, damnit!_

As though hearing him, it did. He shot forward, quickly changing lanes in front of a black car, and then turned sharply down a side street toward the STN-J.

He slowed down a little as he reached the end of the street, then hit the brakes to avoid running out in front of traffic. The STN-J building was right around the corner. He peered around the corner and blinked.

There was a factory truck stationed outside it, along with several other cars.

"What the hell?" he asked himself out loud. His tires squealed as he turned the corner, and almost immediately turned again, down into the parking garage. He brought himself to a halt in one of the smaller parking spaces, right next to Robin's Vespa. He wrenched the helmet off his head and glanced quickly around as he darted for the stairs. Everyone else was there. He wondered if even Dojima had beaten him.

"Oof!" he grunted loudly as he slammed right into something big and squishy. He stepped a few paces back and saw an overgrown Factory worker standing before him, in one of the creepy suits they often wore, but his headgear was taken off and he was carrying a clip board.

"Watch where you are going!" he bellowed, walking past angrily. Sakaki glared after him.

"Well, excuuuuuse me!" he muttered under his breath, continuing his walk to the elevator, his mind full of curiosity, as well as a sense of foreboding. What the hell had happened to make the Factory come to the STN-J? He pushed a button and the elevator ascended upwards. Sakaki saw, as each floor passed quickly before him, that there were several Factory personnel on every floor. By the time he reached the top floor, he was beside himself with wonder.

"Sakaki!" Kosaka's angry voice greeted him angrily as the elevator's door creaked open. Sakaki stepped out and saw the chief leaning against the wall beside the door to the office. He turned to face the young hunter, his arms crossed and his face screwed up tightly in anger. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Slept through my alarm clock," Sakaki said with a yawn, sauntering over with his hands in his pockets. He supposed his disposition was a little too cheery, because Kosaka's face went purple in fury.

"Apparently you can't hear the communicator either, even after ten times! Can't you see, we have a situation here?"

"Well, what is it?"Sakaki asked, passing the chief and looking into the office.

He had never seen it in such disarray. Several Factory employees were rummaging through the desks, and several more could be seen working on the computers. Only one hunter could be seen amongst them, and that was Amon. He sat at Michael's computer, his face emotionless, but one could tell by the way he slumped over the keyboard, and the pace in which he typed that he was frustrated. 

"What's going on?" Sakaki asked the chief again. The balding man opened his mouth to reply when another voice interrupted.

"Sakaki! How could you just stroll in late like this?!"

Sakaki turned around, a sense of shock filling him. Doujima had appeared, and was stomping over to him with a look that suggested he had done the most heinous crime one could commit.

"What are you talking about? You always-."

"Something happened to Michael! But no! You decide to just sleep in, not bother with the communicator after ten-."

"Wait, what?!" Sakaki gasped, the situation finally registering in his head. He glanced over at Amon, who glanced up, as though sensing his gaze, and then back down at his screen. He looked back at Dojima, who seemed to have forgotten her anger and looked down at the floor solemnly.

"Robin found him this morning . . . We don't know what happened to him, or when. We just figure that it must have been a witch . . . "

"A witch . . . got Michael??" Sakaki said softly, unable to believe it. He took another look around. It just didn't seem possible. The office had such a tight security, how could a witch have attacked him? "Where is Michael now?"

Dojima didn't reply, merely shook her head a little, eyes cast down toward the floor. Then, she turned and walked off. Slightly confused, Sakaki followed her. She reached the small lounge beside the coffee maker, and Sakaki peered over her shoulder and felt his stomach turn over a little.

There he was, stretched out on the couch. All of the other STN-J members were there, surrounding their fallen hacker. Even Zaizen was there, whose unreadable face stood out amongst the grave expressions everyone else had adopted. Karasuma was kneeling beside Michael, a hand lightly touching his unnaturally pale forehead, with a look of deep concentration on her face. On the chair beside her sat Robin, who stared quietly in front of her, in a sort of daze. Sakaki noticed that she was clutching Michael's CD player tightly in her hands. Also there was a man Sakaki had never seen before. Perhaps he was another Factory worker, except he wasn't wearing the uniforms they were known for, but instead a white lab coat. Sakaki then noticed a bag lying at the man's feet, which said "Dr. Sukiyama."

"Have you felt anything?" Dojima asked Karasuma in a hushed voice. Karasuma lifted her eyes up to the blonde hunter, and then dropped it again, sighing.

"Nothing."

Nobody said anything. In fact, the mood of the room was so melancholy that Sakaki couldn't take it. An exasperated sigh accidently escaped his lips as he turned his back on them.

"Hey!" Doujima growled at him in warning.

"Well, if someone would just tell me what's going on . . . !" Sakaki replied, a twinge of annoyance in his voice.

"Hey," said a deep voice from the computers. Sakaki looked up to see Amon looking their way. "Come here. Take a look at this."

Sakaki walked on over, accompanied by Karasuma, Dojima, and Zaizen. He looked over Amon's shoulder, and saw that he had a file opened on the computer. It was a message in a funny sort of language Sakaki had never seen before.

"What is that?" asked Doujima. "Russian or something?"

"Gaelic," Amon said. "It's a part of a message that was sent through the computers when we got hacked last night."

"Hacked?!" Sakaki gasped in shock. He glanced at the others, who glared back. Clearly, they already knew that part of the story. "But you would think, after that last time . . . I thought Michael fixed it!"

"I'm still trying to figure out how they did it"

"If we decode this message," began Zaizen, "perhaps we could get some clue as to who-."

But a sudden loud, heart-wrenching scream interrupted him, and caused all of them to jump a good food in the air. It only took a split second to figure out who it was.

"Michael!" Robin's voice could be heard over the outcries. Everyone in the room hurried immediately over to the lounge. Sakaki forced himself through two Factory workers and felt his breath catch in his throat.

Michael was thrashing around, his face screwed up, mouth wide as he cried out, as though in great, agonizing pain. Amon had hurried forward, and he and the other man, Dr. Sukiyama, grabbed the boy and held him down. Sakaki threw a look toward Robin, who was standing, her hands thrown over her mouth, face frozen in a look of terror.

"Sakaki!" Amon shouted at him. Without clarification, Sakaki ran over and threw himself on the young man's flailing legs. Amon pressed himself against Michael's chest, pinning his arms down, allowing the doctor to pull back. He knelt beside a small bag next to the couch, reached inside and pulled out a large syringe, and stuck it into a tube of clear liquid. Sakaki swallowed hard and looked away, a burning sensation shooting through his lungs as Michael managed to knee him in the ribs several times. 

Then, the thrashing began to calm down, then stopped all together. Sakaki released his grip and looked up to see the man putting the now empty syringe back in the bag, and closing it.

"Wh-what happened?" Dojima said in a high, shaking voice, staring wide-eyed down at Michael in shock.

"It was like, he was having a nightmare . . . " Karasuma said softly, almost to herself, her eyes surveying the hacker intently.

"A nightmare . . . " Robin repeated, so softly that nobody heard her.

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By closing time, it was still unclear what happened to Michael, or what happened to the computers. Michael was taken down to the hospital so his condition could be monitored. But because of his imprisonment, someone had to keep guard of him full-time. The hunters didn't understand it, although they didn't question it. Deep down, they all felt that Zaizen was being paranoid about it all. It wasn't like Michael was just going to wake up suddenly and then tell the nearest nurse every secret he knew about the STN-J. Young Robin had volunteered to watch over the boy that night.

Amon was the only one left in the office. Everyone else had decided to call it a night. He sat at Michael's computer, his eyes itching from staring at the bright screen for so long. He paused only to take several sips of coffee, and then returned again to typing.

Around eight o'clock, the telephone rang.

"Amon," Zaizen's voice came unexpectedly through the receiver. "I need to speak with you in my office."

Amon returned the phone to it's place and got to his feet, his back cracking at the sudden movement. He looked at his screen with a short surge of hatred going through his body, not at Zaizen, but at the computers. At the hacker. After hours of working, practically non-stop, he was no closer to figuring out who was behind it. And now he was about to tell Zaizen of his failure.

"Working late, I see," said Zaizen, his chair turned away from Amon as he stepped into the office.

"Yes. And it seems you are too," Amon said, his voice calm, even bored sounding.

"I just received a message from HQ. It appears they are going to send us a new hacker."

Amon blinked in disbeleif.

"What?!" he asked, his voice unable to hide his shock. "But how did they know we even needed one?"

Zaizen turned his chair around and fixated his stern eyes on the dark hacker. "I was wondering the same thing..." He then reached out and grabbed his flat-screen monitor then swivelled it around so Amon could read it.

The email was short, only several sentences long, and all it said was that a new hacker was arriving in the next week to aid them in the weeks following. It didn't even say who it was, exactly where he was from, or even if it was a him. But it was pretty clear from the message that they knew about Michael's condition. 

"So, what do you think?" Zaizen asked sharply

"They act as though we asked for a new one," Amon said quietly, "And everything else is so vague..."

"Yes, and as you are well aware, I haven't, nor had any intention of asking Headquarters for a new hacker. I feel you are quite suited for our needs right now."

"So why do you think they are sending us another one?"

Zaizen didn't say anything for a moment. He stared at his cigar for a moment, then glanced out the window.

"There are people working for Solomon with amazing skill, Amon. I'm beginning to wonder if they have anything to do with what happened last night..."

This comment took Amon by surprise. Of course, some part of him had thought that, just as he had thought it suspicious when Robin was sent. He wouldn't put it past Solomon to do something like it, but his question still remained unanswered.

"So, what are you planning on doing?"

"I want you to look into this," Zaizen said. "I would like you to find out anything you can about this hacker. This will be our top priority for the moment."

"Yes, sir," Amon said. "Is that all?"

"For the moment."

Amon bowed slightly, then left the office. Zaizen stared after him, then reached over and pressed a button on his phone.

"Yes?" said a man's voice through the speakerphone.

"It's me. I don't think we have much time. I want you to begin as soon as possible."

"Everything is prepared. Would you like us to wait for Amon to leave?"

"No. Don't bother. You can continue with him in there. He will understand."

"Alright." There was a click, and the office was silent once more. Zaizen inhaled deeply on his cigar before putting it out in it's ashtray.

The hacker was going to be there tomorrow. He could tell. And this hacker was going to have to be under complete surveillance. He would not allow Solomon to do what he had a feeling they were trying to do.

They were not going to catch him off-guard again.

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Well, that's it for now! The next chapter is partially completed, but it'll take me awhile yet. ^_^ As always, I enjoy your critiques, criticisms, complaints, rants, raves, etc. Oh, I suppose compliments are good too. Thanks to all who have been reviewing! 

Until next chapter…

~Lighty~


	3. Planes, Rains, and Automobiles

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Hacker of Solomon

Chapter 3: Planes, Rains, and Automobiles

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Disclaimer: Like always, the WHR team is not under my rule (accursed copyright laws . . . ). And I did take the title for this chapter from the movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," so I will say that I don't own that either. However, I was the one who thought up the plot, Kari Baker, and Liz Johnson, so yeah . . . No touchie!

Author's Note: Well well! So many reviews! Well . . . for me at least . . . And I guess the most shocking thing is all the positive messages people have been putting! The only thing I've been negatively criticized about was my malfunctioning html tags (WHICH ARE DEAD NOW! *dances*) and the fact that I almost killed off Michael in the first scene. Believe me, I didn't WANT to do it! Well, okay, maybe I did. But it was out of love! You can tell I like a character when I put them through hell. ~_~ I know. I'm sick . . . Augh! Rambling! Well, chapter 3! Here you go! Carry on, and critique as much as possible, without lying or making me cry.

Enjoy the new hacker, and remember, never trust monkeys in fez hats!

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The plane ride was agonizingly long. The people on flight 712 were beginning to grow restless. Two passengers in first class were no different, but their dark, formal looking trench coats set them apart from the other passengers: the tourists heading to Japan for weeks of cultural discovery, and even the businessmen, with their uncomfortable suits and ties. After six hour, the latter seemed to have ignored all rules of their respectful businesses, and had gone to the lavatories to trade their stiff collared shirts and ties for T-shirts they had tucked away in their briefcases. Half an hour before the plane was to begin its descent to land, they would go and change again, so their partners or clients meeting them at the airport would be none the wiser.

"How much longer do you think the flight is?" one of the two trench-coated passengers asked with a heavy British accent. The speaker was a woman, maybe twenty years old or so, and was staring out her window down at the land below. She wasn't even sure where they were. Maybe they were over Russia or India. She couldn't tell; everything looked the same after six hours.

"We're probably halfway through the flight," said a young Americanized voice from beside her. The other woman sighed and scratched her head through her short blonde hair.

"Figures they would send me on a flight like this, and then expect me to fly all the way back to Europe immediately afterwards. I wish they would just let me hang around Japan, but no. All I get to see is the airport. It's just work, work, work!"

The other didn't speak. On the tray before her stood an expensive-looking laptop, which she typed on at a pace that caused some of the other passengers to stare in wonder.

The woman turned away from the window and looked at her neighbor, "Why are they even sending you over to Japan in the first place?"

"The branch over there needs a new hacker," the other replied softly, her gray eyes flickering over the screen as words passed it at an amazing rate. The blonde sighed in exasperation.

"Well, I know that, but why send you? Why not send Sloane or Creamer or someone a little more experienced?"

The hacker simply smiled, her finger's rapid typing never faltering for a moment.

"I see. Miss Perfect must be too good to stay at Headquarters. I suppose the bosses are getting sick of always having you around. You're just a pest."

"Am I really, Liz?" the hacker asked, her eyes flickering over to the young woman for a moment, and then back to the computer.

"Well, sure! You're just a kid! You sit around, listening to your music and eating candy like other kids. Why don't you just quit and go home and play with Barbies or something?"

The other chuckled. "Barbies are no fun. I'd rather work."

A sigh escaped Liz's lips "I would never have said the same at your age."

"Yeah, well. I guess I'm just special."

"Yeah, special enough to need an escort. Like Solomon is really afraid you'll go around telling random people about the existence of witches."

The hacker stopped typing a moment and grinned at Liz.

"Why would I when I have you to do it for me?"

"Oh, be quiet."

The hacker's grin widened, her gray eyes sparkling childishly at the older woman before she turned back to the computer and began typing again.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"Making a really cool web game where you act like a witch hunter and go around and using a variety of household items, hunt out witches. Complete with blood, gore, and the like."

Liz's eyes widened. "Really? Lemme see!"

The young hacker stopped again and gave Liz a look that said "I'm kidding, and you know it." Liz sighed and leaned against her pillow, staring out the window.

"Are we there yet?" the blonde whined impatiently. The girl next to her chuckled.

"You know, for someone who seems to have a strong dislike for kids, you sure do act one."

"Shut up and work, since you love it so much."

The girl chuckled, but not at Liz. Instead, it was something that popped up on her computer, through her wireless Internet connection.

The STN-J was trying to hack into Solomon's high-security files.

__

I can tell they already don't trust me, she thought to herself. She chuckled again. _Their reactions are going to be interesting. I'm going to have to buy a camera._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sakaki awoke the next day with his alarm clock, but one look out the window made him wish he had slept through it again. Rain fell in heavy sheets, and the cars driving by left little puffs of smoke behind them. With much reluctance, he left his apartment fifteen after seven and drove to Raven's Flat. By the time he got there, he was soaked completely throughout. The windbreaker he wore did nothing to keep out the water dumped on him by passing cars. Shivering slightly from the cold, he made his way to the elevator and to the top floor of the building. He walked into the office, and was surprised to see that Karasuma was the only hunter there. She sat at her computer, a big cup of coffee steaming next to her keyboard, but she merely stared at the blank screen, in a sort of daze.

"Good morning," he greeted her.

"Mornin'," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with one hand. She turned to look at him. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept okay," Sakaki said, sitting next to her. "But I take it you had a rough night."

"Yeah. I offered to watch over Michael part of last night, to let Robin have some sleep."

"How is Michael doing?"

Karasuma sighed and stared at her keyboard.

"They aren't sure what's wrong with him. The doctors, that is. They say that he's in a coma, but that it's a peculiar one. That is to say, his brain waves . . . " her voice trailed off, and she turned to look at him. "There's just something unique about them. How they, and his heart rate, keep fluctuating, and then at other times, it seems like he's completely brain dead. It's just . . . it's just nerve-wracking. And he keeps having those screaming fits . . . "

A shudder crossed the redhead's face, and she dropped her gaze. "They are starting to think that there may be something chemically wrong with his brain, but any symptoms that should have shown up before this were completely nonexistent."

"So, are we still thinking that it was a witch?"

Karasuma shook her head slightly. "We don't know. We have no clues, whether it was a witch, or else something medical."

A silence passed between them. Sakaki spent the silence picking a piece of thread out of the arm of his chair.

"So, who's with Michael now?" he asked after several minutes.

"Dojima. She took over for me about an hour ago. I suppose anything to keep her away from the office . . . "

"And where's Amon and Robin?"

"Amon . . . " Her voice trailed off a moment, and then she blinked and looked at Sakaki. "That's right. I came right when he was leaving. Apparently . . . " she paused, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "Apparently, Headquarters is sending over a new hacker."

Sakaki's mouth fell open in disbelief.

"What?! Why would we ask for a new hacker?!"

"Beats me. I suppose Zaizen wants to keep Amon free to hunt all of these witches that keep showing up."

"That doesn't make sense," Sakaki said softly, but the moment he said it, he questioned it. Well, sure. They needed a hacker. But Solomon . . . everything seemed a bit sketchy when it came to Solomon.

"Well, whatever the reason, the hacker is arriving this afternoon. Amon went to go wait at the airport, in case he arrives early, like Robin had."

"I see," Sakaki said. "I wonder who this hacker is."

"Amon didn't tell me anything. I get the feeling that he himself doesn't know."

Sakaki furrowed his eyebrows, then turned to face his computer.

"So what should we do right now?"

"I don't know. We don't have any hunts planned. Not even any suspicious activities just yet."

"What about that witch Michael was trying to get info on?"

"Apparently, the STN-J branch in Sapporo got him yesterday. Don't ask me how he ended up there so suddenly."

"Oh. I see."

He pulled up a game of space pinball on his computer and noisily began to play it.

I hope something happens, he thought to himself. _Something to get rid of this boredom._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, they actually gave us accurate information for once," Amon said softly into his headset microphone. He was propped up against a wall opposite the gate where flight 712 from London was going to arrive at, his communicator clutched tightly in his hand. The stretch of airport between himself and the boarding door was crammed with people, all of whom were talking noisily to one another, but no one seemed to notice the ominous-looking hunter standing there, his eyes fixated on the gate.

"Yes, they did," Zaizen's voice managed to carry over the din of the crowd.

"So, what else did they send us, along with the information on the flight?"

"Here. Take a look yourself."

Amon flipped his communicator over, and was able to look at the database. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No. Kari Baker: a native of Boston, Massachusetts who moved to London when she was eight. Solomon got a hold of her about a year ago, apparently after a car wreck caused by a witch with peculiar powers, and she was the only survivor. It seems they saw use of her and made her a hacker."

"But so young . . . "

"I know. But apparently she's one of their best hackers. Class A."

Amon blinked his eyes and looked up back at the gate.

"Class A? After only a year?"

"Yes. And the sole fact that they are sending us a Class A hacker is pretty suspicious. Why would Solomon send one of their best hackers halfway around the world? That is the big question."

Amon nodded in agreement, and looked up to see one of the airport personnel open the boarding door.

"There is another with her," said Zaizen. "A sort of escort, by the name of Elizabeth Johnson. A twenty-year-old hunter who used to work for the STN-E in London, but then was transferred over to Headquarters to work in their Witch Database Department. Looks like she's just accompanying Baker here and then will return to Europe tonight."

"I see. Well, it looks like they're about to arrive. Everything is prepared back at the office?"

"Yes. Everything is in order."

"Alright. I'll bring her in soon."

He pressed a button on his headset and pulled it off, pocketing it in his long black trenchcoat. He took another look back down at the communicator, his forehead wrinkling as he read over the information Zaizen had provided about this girl, this hacker.

How could it be that he was unable to find any information about her last night? He had looked through all of Solomon's records concerning hackers, but he had never seen her face before. Someone like her would have caught his attention immediately.

Perhaps his answer was in those high-security files he hadn't been able to get into.

He looked up to see people beginning to stream out of the terminal. He pocketed his communicator as well and pushed himself off the wall. People darted out of his way as he crossed the wide pathway to the waiting area. He watched the crowd like a hawk. According to the records, they had ridden in first class. So where were they?

"So, this is the infamous Amon?"

Amon jumped inwardly, the voice taking him completely by surprise. He spun his head in the direction it had come from. At first, he saw no one, but then he let his gaze fall.

Kari Baker was standing right there, only three feet away from him, staring up at him with sparkling gray eyes. She had a small knowledgeable smile about her pudgy childish face, which didn't even reach high enough for her to stare directly at Amon's elbow. Her eyes left his face and seemed to scan him in full.

"You know," she continued, with that soft, high-pitched voice that only a child could possess. She ran a hand through her chin-length caramel-colored hair and chuckled slightly. "Those pictures of you on your hunter profile just don't do you justice."

A surge of annoyance passed through him, and he narrowed his eyes angrily down at the young girl, and prepared himself to tell her off for her boldness.

"Kari!"

Amon tore his glare off of the young hacker and saw a young woman with short blonde hair pushing through the crowd toward them, her arms laden down by a bag and a small suitcase. She looked a little disheveled, her hair messy and her familiar-looking trenchcoat ruffled and buttoned incorrectly. "Kari! I told you to wait for me! You aren't allowed to just bolt off like that!"

"I know, Liz," Kari said, an apologetic smile replacing the sneer she had been giving Amon the moment before.

But suddenly, Amon realized something. At the moment, the two of them were speaking English, but before . . .

Hadn't the young girl just spoken to him in fluent Japanese?

"Don't give me that look, Kari! I know you better than that! You don't do anything without a reason. What were you-?"

"We should get going," Amon interrupted, not bothering to hide his irritation. He turned on his heel and began walking, knowing without having to check that they were following him.

They didn't have to go through any sort of customs or immigration process. Amon simply flashed the people his card stating that he was a government official, mutter that the other two were with him, and they just let them pass. They made their way out of the airport and into the parking garage and toward Amon's black car. Once there, he opened one of the back doors and gestured for Kari to get in. Kari carefully put her laptop on the floor and took her suitcase from the blonde hunter and set it down beside it. Liz began to walk to the other side, but a tug on her arm stopped her.

"I think I can handle things from here," Amon said in a cold voice. "You probably should head back and wait for your flight home."

"But, I was given orders directly from Solomon to-."

"I will handle things from here," he said, emphasizing the finality in his voice as he opened his driver's side door and got in. The woman stared at the door as it closed, her face actively trying to hide her intense dislike of the situation. Despite her inability to complete her duties, she crossed her arms and stepped back to allow the car to back up without running her over. Kari watched her through the dark windows, her confusion showing on her face. She waved, and Liz gave a small wave back, before Amon put the car into gear and drove off. Kari stared through the back window until they turned, and Liz was gone from sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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A/N again

Boy, what was up with that, eh? So many questions to be answered . . . so many bleeping questions . . . *taps chin with the fluffy end of her pencil* Well, I'm afraid the answers aren't gonna be here quite yet! But despite that people will ask them anyway. *shrugs* Oh well. What's a writer to do?

And just to let you people know that, like you, my prayers are fully with Michael in this story, because I haven't quite decided if I will let him live or not! MWAHAHAHAAAAAA!! *runs as a countless number of weapons and other lethal objects are aimed her way*


	4. Work, Work, Work!

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Hacker of Solomon

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Chapter 4 – Work, Work, Work.

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Disclaimer: I do not own WHR and do not intend on making any money off of this story. At least, not, like, directly. If people wanna give me money because of my 16th birthday, that's fine.

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Summary: Something happens to Michael, landing him in a coma at the hospital. But when Solomon immediately sends a replacement hacker, suspicions arise in the STN-J. Is this some plan cooked up by those down at HQ, or are things not what they seem?

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Rating: PG-13 for language, and some gore in later chapters. Tee hee! I love gore!

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Author's Note:

Okay, just want to explain my ranking system on hackers:

Class A is the highest. I'm fully aware of the whole Class S thing with hunters. Well, I figure that the people back in colonial days who started this whole hunter business were clearly illiterate, or partially, and thought S was first in the alphabet. Pshaw . . . Well, in this day and age, A is the best someone can do. Hunters are just old-fashioned. As hackers go, Michael would be a Class A, and though I know he's probably better than that, I'm classifying Amon as Class B, just because it works in my story (such aggravation! Argh!) and he's not a full-time hacker like Michael or Kari.

And sorry about my month-long un-updating-ness. Got writer's block and another obsession (Inuyasha... --). Please forgive me!

Enjoy, and critique!

The room was stuffy.

Dang, why was this room always so stuffy?

It was probably because of the cigars he was always smoking . . . yeah, that was it. He really needed a fan. It would make his job a little more bearable. He wasn't about to give up his cigars anytime soon . . .

"So, you are our new hacker?" Zaizen asked, taking his mind off of his stuffy office and turning to the young girl standing on the other side of his desk, with Amon leaning against the glass behind her.

Kari nodded, and Zaizen, now that he was looking at her in full, realized that she looked even younger in person. At first, he couldn't quite pinpoint why. Then he decided that it must be the schoolgirl-type clothing that she wore beneath her Solomon coat, and the way her hair was cut in a short bob, with a dark red ribbon tied neatly in it. But, as he surveyed her a little more closely, he noticed that the cheerful childish looks that he had observed through the airport's surveillance system suddenly didn't exist. They had been replaced by a look of extreme professionalism that took him somewhat by surprise. Zaizen got the impression that she was a bit like Robin. She acted much older than she looked.

"Kari Baker," Zaizen continued, leaning back in his big executive office chair. He took a long inhale through his cigar, and slowly released the smoke into the air. "I don't know why Solomon decided to send you of all people to us. I've begun to wonder if this is some kind of cruel joke. A child like you-."

"I assure you, sir. I am no ordinary child."

Zaizen was taken a little aback by her sudden interruption. He returned to sitting upright and reached over his desk, putting out his cigar in a conveniently placed ashtray before turning to look her straight in the eye.

"I can see that from the fact that you are standing here before me. But the fact remains that you are a child, Miss Baker. And the fact also remains that Headquarters has provided little information about your past. So enlighten us, since you seem so eager to speak. Tell us exactly what it is you did for Solomon back in Europe."

Kari stayed silent, her face expressionless but her eyes darting around as though trying to figure out what to say.

"If you will not speak, I will contact Solomon and tell them that I believe you too untrustworthy for our services."

"I'm sworn to secrecy about some things," Kari said quickly, fixating her gray eyes on the administrator. "Much as I'm sure you and Mr. Amon are."

"True. So what are you allowed to tell me?"

Kari hesitated for a moment before speaking again, her fingers fidgeting in the long sleeves of her jacket.

"I worked in one of the research departments."

"I see. As a hacker?"

"Actually, no sir. I was . . . a source of information."

Zaizen raised his eyebrows at this. "What do you mean, source of information?"

Kari's eyes left him and fixed themselves on a spot on the side of his desk. She was thinking again. Zaizen felt a twinge of irritation, but decided to let it slide.

"I... It's kind of hard to explain, but I have an astounding knowledge of Witchcraft. Ancient lore . . . spells . . . that sort of thing. Some of which Solomon had never heard of before, but much of which they already have information on. But I suppose they liked me more than a computer system. I was reliable, and it's much harder to get to a human than a computer database."

"And how did you come to know what you do?"

"I don't know sir," she said softly, but with a calm and firm voice nonetheless. Her eyes returned to stare at him. "Those down at Solomon believe that I must have been taught it by my father, who was a researcher for Solomon. He was hunted down for treason back when I was eight. They said that he must have told me much of it, at first as bedtime stories, but then as my curiosity grew, he told me more. Things he had no desire to tell them. Apparently, he grew soft, and decided he didn't want them harming any more witches."

"I see. But this is what Solomon has told you? Are you saying you don't remember?"

"No sir. I was in a car accident a little over a year ago that caused some head trauma, and I never fully regained my memory."

"So how is it that you still have this knowledge?"

Kari blinked a couple of times, then looked away.

"You know, I'm not really sure. I suppose it's the same way that I remembered how to speak English . . . Perhaps I've just been told so many times, that my mind created backup files in case anything like that happened."

"I see. That is certainly possible. So how is it that you became a hacker?"

"It kind of happened by accident. I was watching some of the hackers in my department, and it looked so interesting . . . When I wasn't working I would watch them, and after a while I just sort of figured it out. Before long, I was hacking into government files."

"You catch onto things quickly."

"Yes, sir. It's a gift of mine."

Zaizen nodded slightly, his eyes watching the girl's face intently, as though trying to look right through her. She seemed to sense this, and dropped her gaze again. But Zaizen had a strong feeling that this girl was being completely honest with him, even if she wasn't giving him all the information she had.

But then, she had said she was sworn to secrecy with some things.

But what things did she have to hide?

"So you learn things easily. How long did it take you to learn Japanese?"

Amon was the speaker this time. Zaizen tore his gaze off of the girl and looked at the dark hunter, who was leaning against the glass that created the wall opposite the window of the office. His arms were crossed, and his eyes surveyed the girl closely. Kari turned to look at Amon, then went back to Zaizen.

"You know Japanese?" Zaizen asked, unable to hide a hint of suspicion in his voice. Why would she have been taught to speak Japanese?

"Yessir. I know several languages pretty well. My father took us to many places for his research. And I perfected much of my skills last summer, to go with my hacking. It's much easier when you don't have to translate web sites."

Zaizen's eyes narrowed. There was something in her voice . . .

"Is that right? Well, then, I think the rest of the STN-J will be happy to know that. Some of them are a little sketchy when it comes to English."

"Are they sir?" Kari asked, a hint of shock rising in her high-pitched voice, possibly because Zaizen was beginning to speak in more uplifting tones than at the start of the interview.

Or perhaps it was because he sounded like he was just fine with her there. He, of course, was just faking it.

"Yes. And while you are here, you will be able to help us with our current problem. In fact, it's the reason you are here. The sudden disablement of our previous hacker, Michael."

Kari's eyes flashed noticeably.

"Do you have any idea what happened to him?" the girl asked, her forehead wrinkling a bit as she stared at Zaizen.

"No. All we know is that our system was hacked into the night it happened, and then he was found in a comatose-like state the next day. Tests by both the hospital and our agency here have concluded that it was a witch who caused him to fall into this coma. The only way that could be is with some sort of spell, which you claim is your specialty. Do you think you can find out what happened?"

"Absolutely, sir. I'll do all I can."

"Alright. And, one other thing, before I send you to work . . . " Zaizen reached over and pulled out a drawer, and after rummaging around in it, pulled something out and held it up. "You will be required to wear this."

Amon shifted a little in his spot, and Zaizen looked at him for a moment, then looked at the thing dangling from his hand.

It was Michael's collar.

Kari stared at it silently, and then said, almost lazily, "I get it. I'm not allowed to leave the building, without your permission."

Zaizen didn't say anything as the girl stepped up and pulled the chain out of his hand. She quickly did the clasp behind her neck and then rearranged it so that the pendant was hidden beneath her sweater. Her eyes connected with his bewildered stare, and she gave a small smile.

"I'm used to this. They didn't let me leave the office in Europe, either."

"Why not?" Zaizen couldn't stop himself from asking.

Kari shrugged. "Why wont you?"

Zaizen of course couldn't answer. He stared at the young girl- gosh, was she that young? For a moment, he had forgotten. It seemed like he had been conversing with someone Robin's age, or even Amon's. She stepped back away from the desk, her professionalism seeming to dissolve as she gave him an even wider smile.

"So, am I free to get to work?"

Zaizen blinked and then leaned over in order to reach his phone. He pressed his finger into one of the buttons for a moment.

"Yes?" said Chief Kosaka's voice.

"It's me. I would like you to come up here and escort the hacker to the office."

"Me? But it's right there. Why-?"

"Just do it," Zaizen said flatly, pressing the button again with annoyance. He glared angrily at the girl, his mood suddenly changing.

"You had better hear me now, Miss Baker. I refuse to put up with people who disregard the rules. If you do anything to make us think you a traitor, you can be hunted for it, just like your daddy. I don't care if you are a mere child."

Kari didn't speak a moment, but her smile had clearly faded. She gave a nod.

"I understand sir. I will not disobey."

"That's a good girl," Zaizen said, with a soft smile. And, practically on cue, he saw Chief Kosaka sulkingly stomping his way up the stairs to his office. He opened the door without a single glance through the window, and as the door closed, he lifted his head to see the three of them standing there.

Of course, his gaze lingered on the girl for the longest time.

"Sir. Is this some idea of a joke?!" Kosaka gasped loudly in Japanese, his voice rising angrily. Zaizen chuckled slightly, and Kari gave the Chief a smile that told him she had understood what he was saying.

"Kari Baker, meet Chief Kosaka. He will be your escort down to your workstation-."

"But, I-." Kosaka began.

"Do you have a problem with Headquarters' decision?" Zaizen cut in, giving Kosaka a look of warning. "If you do, why don't you speak with them directly."

"Oh, well, I . . . "

"Take her down to the office and give her a small tour."

"Yes, sir," Kosaka grumbled after a moment's hesitation, a hefty amount of reluctance apparent in his voice. He looked over at the girl, and his nose seemed to shrivel up, as though someone had just emitted a foul odor. "Follow me, then, little girl."

"My name is Kari," Kari said, not moving.

"Fine, Kari. Follow me," Kosaka growled, an angry nerve twitching on his forehead. He walked out the door, and Kari picked up her laptop and suitcase and followed him out, leaving Amon and Zaizen alone.

"So, what did you think?" Zaizen asked, his eyes falling on the dark hunter.

"In all honesty, I'm a bit divided in opinion," Amon said softly, his eyes not connecting with Zaizen's.

"Are you?" Zaizen asked, raising an eyebrow. Now that was something. "What do you mean by that?"

"I can't really detect any hint that she has any ulterior motives toward being here."

Zaizen's eyes narrowed.

"I'm sure that's what they want."

Amon blinked over at him, his face unreadable. "But, sir..."

Zaizen lifted his head, as though turning his nose up to the hunter. "I want you to monitor her closely. It is too soon to decide what the meaning is behind her sudden arrival. But I'm not taking any chances. That is all," he ended, making the finality in his voice perfectly clear. Amon's face didn't change it's composure, but Zaizen knew him enough to know that he was annoyed with the situation. He watched the hunter leave, placing one of his Cuban cigars in his mouth and lit it.

__

I'm not taking any chances, he thought again.

"Hey," Sakaki said with a yawn, leaning back in his chair so he could put his feet up on the desk. "What do you suppose is taking Amon so long with that hacker?"

"How many times are you going to ask that?" Dojima groaned, furrowing her eyebrows at the rookie hunter before turning her attention back to her fashion magazine.

"He'll be here when he gets here," Karasuma said, stifling her own yawn as she went back to doing some random piece of work at her computer. Sakaki groaned at them loudly.

"Well, excuse me and my curiosity," he grumbled, pulling out what appeared to be a Gameboy Advanced and began playing some loud annoying game.

It had been an awfully boring day. More boring than usual. No hunts, no cases. Dojima wondered why she had even decided to come in. She should have just stayed with Michael. It wasn't so boring there. A bit scary at times, when that unexplained pain seem to attack him, causing him to cry and yell in his sleep-- well, was he even sleeping? She flipped a page, a small shudder going down her spine. Okay, on second thought, perhaps she was better off at the office.

A phone was ringing, she realized. She looked up to see Kosaka pick up his phone and press it to his ear. She wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying, but the way his face took on a look of faux humbleness made her know that it was Zaizen on the other side. She sighed and went back to her magazine again.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Sakaki's voice interrupted the silence in the room. Dojima looked up from her magazine again to see Kosaka walking by.

"Mr. Zaizen has called for me," Kosaka spat, his steps slowing to a stop as he turned his head to look at Sakaki's back. "I don't suppose it would be all right with you if I actually get up and do some work!"

"No, you can't do that," Sakaki said with an air of childish sarcasm, turning his attention back to his video game. Dojima was unable to suppress a small giggle. She loved seeing Sakaki and Kosaka go at it, especially when Sakaki was winning. Kosaka gave a loud sigh of exasperation, but did not say anything more, but simply continued out the office door.

"Sakaki, one. Kosaka, zero!" Dojima laughed.

"It's more like, Sakaki eighty-five, and Kosaka, zero," Karasuma added, to Dojima's surprise. It wasn't very often that Karasuma made comments like that, at least against Kosaka. But after that, the office went quite again, and Dojima turned lazily back to her magazine.

Several minutes passed in silence. Dojima was busy doing one of those lame personality tests that these sort of magazines loved putting in. This particular one was entitled "What is your make-up persona?" She figured she was probably an Autumn Rose, but she wanted to be sure...

She was vaguely aware of footsteps in the hall outside, but mostly she was aware of Kosaka's angry voice echoing as he spoke to someone.

"Well, well, look who's..." Sakaki began as Kosaka's voice became as loud as they knew it could get, signaling his return, but then the young hunter's voice trailed off. Dojima turned her head to look at the office entrance, and had to blink several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Standing next to Kosaka was a little girl.

"Woah! What's up with her?" Sakaki asked. "Is that your daughter or something, Kosaka?"

Of course they knew it couldn't be. The girl was definitely not of Japanese descent. She had shining light brown hair, which was cut to her chin, and held back away from her face with a long red ribbon, and her gray eyes were very round-shaped, and her skin was so pale that it was clear she hadn't been in the sun for some time. It looked like she was from Europe or someplace like that...

"Wait a second..." Dojima gasped before the Chief could reply. She jumped to her feet, the realization of it all hitting her suddenly. "Is that our new hacker?!"

"What?!" Sakaki and Karasuma gasped in unison, their attention turning from the little girl to Dojima, and the blonde felt a surge of pride that she had figured it out before they had, particularly when it came to Karasuma, who was quicker than she was.

"It appears so," Kosaka growled, his eyes narrowing and his face going pink. "But certainly, they must have made a mistake. I mean, even Robin seems too young, but THIS..."

"Geez! Calm down, Chief," Sakaki said, getting to his own feet. "You should know that Michael started honing his hacking abilities back when he was like, what, eight? It's not so uncommon for younger kids to become hackers."

"I know, but sending her halfway around the world just to hack for us?! Don't they know that Amon is quite a capable hacker himself?"

"Well, he's also a high-class hunter. Do you really want him sitting here in an office while everyone else is off hunting a witch?"

The room went silent. It took them awhile to realize that it was the young girl who had spoken. A sort of tense shock passed around them...

But then, Dojima giggled and clapped her hands together.

"Oh my god! She can speak Japanese! What a cutie!!" Before she realized what she was doing, she had run up and grabbed the small child by the arm, pulling her away from Kosaka, who seemed startled beyond movement or speech. The girl seemed a bit confused as well, as Dojima grabbed her in a small hug and then pulled back to look her over. "You know, perhaps I should take you shopping sometime. Those clothes of yours are far too school-girlish. What you need is some more comfortable stuff, like some cute khakis, and this cute sweatshirt I saw at the Gap the other day..."

"Dojima!" Kosaka growled, pulling his composure back together.

But the little girl laughed, which only made Dojima smile brightly down at her, completely ignoring Kosaka altogether.

"So, what's your name?" Karasuma asked, walking over. She knelt down next to them, so she and the girl were more or less the same height.

"I'm Kari," the girl replied with a huge smile. "Kari Baker."

"Kari," Karasuma replied, giving the girl a small grin. "That's a pretty name. You can call me Miho, and that's Sakaki, and that's Yurika."

"Where are you coming from?" Dojima asked excitedly.

"From HQ, in Europe."

"Wow," said Sakaki. "Are you saying you were a hacker for HQ?!"

The girl gave a small nod, and Sakaki just stared at her a moment in disbelief.

"HQ? You must be pretty good!"

"Yeah, well..."

"Excuse me," said a deep voice nearby, making them jump slightly. They all spun around to see a familiar figure standing at the door. 

"Hey there, Amon," Karasuma greeted, straightening up. Amon didn't make any indication that he had heard her. He walked over to the small group and grabbed Kari forcefully by the shoulder and steered her away from the hunters and towards the workstations.

"This is where you'll be working," he said gruffly, stopping her before one of the computers, the most recognizable one. More cords than anyone could count was attached to its backside, and around it was strewn papers and bits of data waiting to be filed.

"Michael's computer?" Dojima gasped in disbelief. She couldn't believe that Zaizen was going to allow this girl direct contact with all of their important files, what with her sudden, mysterious arrival and her age.

Meanwhile, Kari's eyes widened at the blank screen with a look of intense hunger, as though she knew what it meant to be able to use Michael Lee's computer. They all recognized that look all too well. It was similar to one Michael would have when he found something so interesting, so intriguing, so completely wonderful in some database or another that he could spend hours salivating over it, his fingers busy on the keys.

"So, since we have a hacker, can we get back to work hunting?" Sakaki asked, looking up at Amon eagerly. Dojima knew that the young hunter was bored out of his mind, and wanted to get back to work. She couldn't blame him, but she had to continue the bored girly girl act.

Not like she had any complaints about that. She was just happy about it.

"I'm going to be the one handling hunts for right now," Amon answered. "Kari has no prior experience with it, and Zaizen would like her to get to know how we work before she has a chance to investigate a hunt. Meanwhile, she'll be in charge of Michael's mishap."

"Really?" Dojima asked, somewhat intrigued.

"Well, would you look at that," said Kosaka's voice loudly from the other side of the room, cutting off their conversation. "It's closing time already. Boy, time sure does fly!" And before anyone could so much as blink, he had thrown his coat on and placed his horrible brown hat over his bald head and disappeared around the corner towards the elevator, Hattori following closely like a dog at his heels.

"Well, is there any reason for us to stay?" Sakaki asked in a dull voice.

"No," said Amon. "I have things under control here. You guys have no reason to hang around."

"Oh," said Dojima, somewhat disappointed. She wanted to talk to the little girl some more. But Amon had that sound in his voice, the one that said "Go home." She sighed and began putting her stuff in her purse. "Alright then, I'll see you guys later." And, accompanied by Sakaki and Miho, she left the office, leaving Amon and the little girl behind. But as she stepped into the elevator, one thought crossed Doujima's mind.

Why did Solomon send such a young girl to be their hacker? Could it have something to do with what happened to Michael?

She knew Solomon had the ability to do something like that, but she still couldn't believe it, and by the time the elevator opened on the bottom floor, her mind had wandered off to questioning where she should go for dinner.

Robin walked slowly and sleepily through the large gates that separated Raven's Flat from the garage. She gave a yawn as she stepped pass the security guard, who gave her a small "Hello, Miss Robin," and then proceeded across the courtyard to the elevator. She pressed the button engraved with the number 5 and leaned against the bars as the elevator sent her up to the top.

She couldn't believe her absentmindedness. She had gone that afternoon to watch over Michael, and had completely forgotten both her glasses and her gloves at the office. She felt too shy to call Karasuma and ask her to bring them by, so she had to miss out on another hour of sleep to retrieve them herself. She was quite relieved when Sakaki came at around eight o' clock that night with some fast food, offering to watch Michael for the night.

As the elevator slowed to a stop and the gates open, she was met with a familiar sound. Her breath caught in her chest and she stopped dead in her tracks. At first she thought she was hallucinating. Perhaps her sleep depravation was making her hear things. But after a few moments standing there, she knew she wasn't imagining it. It was the sound of fingers furiously clicking away on a keyboard. All she knew was, it wasn't Michael. She had just left him at the hospital. Curiosity got her moving again. Perhaps it's just Amon, she thought as she walked down the hallway and turned around the corner, entering the office. But it wasn't.

"It's a little girl!" Robin said under her breath. Somehow, just thinking it wasn't enough.

The girl didn't seem to hear her, though. She sat at the computer, Michael's computer, and was typing away, completely unaware of her presence. Robin walked cautiously up to the girl, trying not to startle her, while observing her closely at the same time. She was small and pale, and looked like she was of European decent. The light from the computer reflected so well off of her young eyes, that it looked as though they were glowing. As Robin neared, the girl seemed to notice her out of the corner of her eye, and looked up. A smile crossed her lips.

"Oh, you're Robin," the girl said, a little louder than Robin would have expected. But then the girl reached up and tugged a pair of headphones off of her ears and around her neck. "I was wondering when I would get to meet you."

Robin blinked a few times. Her mind was so fuzzy by having only several hours of sleep in the past couple of days. Somehow, she knew that this girl was supposed to be here… a new hacker, right? Wasn't that what Dojima had told her when Robin saw her last?

"How old are you?" Robin found herself asking. Immediately, she thought she should have at least asked her name first. The girl's smile grew brighter.

"I'm eleven. Can you believe that you are the first person to really ask?"

Robin shook her head sleepily. "No, I can't."

"Heh. Well, where are my manners?" the girl said in a very formal way, unsuited to someone her age. She stood up straight and tall and held out her hand. "Hi. I'm Kari Baker."

"I'm Robin Sena," Robin said, forgetting that the girl already seemed to know her name. "It's getting a little late."

"Well, Zaizen has asked me to stay at the office. I'm going to sleep downstairs, in Michael's room. But thanks to the extreme jetlag I'm facing, flying over here from Europe, I'm not tired."

"Oh. Well. I forgot some stuff, and just came by to get them. Sorry if I disturbed you."

"Not at all," the girl said, and put her headphones back on her head. Robin walked around to her workstation and grabbed her gloves and glasses from one of the drawers there. She listened silently to the clacking of the keys, thoughts of Michael coming to her mind as she pulled her gloves on and pocketed her glasses. She walked back out, taking a quick look at the computer screen that was the only illumination in the room as she went. At the elevator, she stopped and turned to stare at the blue light that shone through the dark entry of the office. Her mind was nagging her, like there was something that it wanted her to remember, but she just couldn't. She furrowed her eyebrows in frustration and, mentally telling herself to shut up and just get home to bed, pressed the button that opened the door to lead her away from this place.

****

A/N again

Sorry. Still no action. I think next chapter though, we'll meet the badguy. Should be ultra-fun!!!


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